Let’s be honest, there’s things to do in growing or running your business, which you don’t really like. I know for me … there’s a fair few that fit into that category. But without doing them … your business can suffer. So we just need to put on our big boy/girl pants (you can choose whichever tickles your fancy the most) & get on with it. But is it that easy? And does that not go against what I’m always banging on about … focus on understanding & using your entrepreneurial superpower? Ye...
Mar 12, 2019•15 min•Ep. 43
Ever felt like you’re so busy … doing lots of ‘stuff’ but when you look at your bank balance or your results compared to your goals … you just want to cry or have a good old tantrum like my 2 year old, when he doesn’t get his way? And then you sigh for relief when things are finally working for you … only to find that down the road, things start to unravel again or your results take a nose-dive? I know how frustrating it can be … because it’s not like you’re sitting there & not doing anythin...
Mar 05, 2019•15 min•Ep. 42
What helps you to ‘switch off’? Because being a business owner can be all consuming - if we let it. There’s always something to do or think about, right? Over the years I’ve tried many things to help me relax more & get out of ‘work’ mode. But guess what really does it for me! LEGO I discovered this form of escapism a few years ago, whilst sprawled across the living room floor playing Lego with our eldest son Kaiyas … it was like magic! That’s why I treated myself to the best Christmas gift ...
Feb 26, 2019•31 min•Ep. 41
When I started my business I was really naïve. I used to believe that once I overcame some initial set up problems (or challenges), that everything would be problem free from there. How wrong was I! Because I’m sure that like me (& every other business owner out there) , you’ll ALWAYS have problems! And that’s actually a good thing! So yes, I want you to have problems in your business. But just as long as they are better quality problems each & every time. You can hear me bring this to l...
Feb 19, 2019•18 min•Ep. 40
How would you answer the question, ‘Am I enough?’ It’s a simple yet powerful question & one that Michelle Obama asks herself a lot, whenever faced with a new challenge or opportunity. ‘I am’ , is the response that would help her to then get on with taking action & getting out her way. So what’s your answer? Are you enough? It feels a bit bizarre not having Michelle riding along on my car journeys anymore, as I was loving hearing her she share elements of the different chapters of her lif...
Feb 12, 2019•30 min•Ep. 39
When I worked in the corporate world, I never saw myself as being a salesperson. That’s because I never had any goals that were directly linked to a sales target. Sales just kinda happened all around me, whilst I focused on being a manager of people or projects. And to be really honest, I used to be really bored in the 2 hour meeting every Monday afternoon with all the other commercial managers when I worked in Marks & Spencer. They’d get so obsessed whilst talk through their sales figures &...
Feb 05, 2019•42 min•Ep. 38
When is a problem a problem? Or could it in fact really be an opportunity? It's no surprise though, when you look at things in just the same way … you end up just getting the same old thinking. In fact, it can even get your head even further up your ... problem! But life isn’t just black & white, is it? What if you added a splash of red, black, yellow, green or blue into the mix? Well that’s exactly what I’d love to help you do today. Because I’m going to bring to life a super simple yet pow...
Jan 29, 2019•10 min•Ep. 37
‘I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways. And no message could have been any clearer. If you want to make the world a better place. Take a look at yourself, and then make a change.’ I’ve heard those words sung many times by the legend that was … Michael Jackson. But on Sunday night, whilst escaping from the bitter cold air in London, by randomly getting last minute theatre tickets to see Thriller Live … those words truly made an impact! It echoed a lot of what ...
Jan 22, 2019•31 min•Ep. 36
A few months back, it was a fairly typical morning in the Sharif household … classic Home Alone style. Even though bags were packed & clothes were sorted the night before … something always seems to disappear over night. On this particular morning, it was one of Aaron’s shoes. Shareen was running around downstairs hunting for it, whilst I doing my best to help look for it upstairs … whilst hobbling around in my crutches at the time. As she finally found it (she got this proper superpower of ...
Jan 15, 2019•12 min•Ep. 35
Being totally exclusive or playing the field (a.k.a. multi-passionate) in business… which is better? It really depends! On your goals. On your mindset. On your entrepreneurial superpower & personality. On whether you’re organised enough. On whether you’re stimulated by variety or if it overwhelms you. It’s really not for everyone, that’s for sure. That’s why I love working with my business owner clients, as they’re all different. So what would work for one of them would be a complete disaste...
Jan 08, 2019•48 min•Ep. 34
Happy New Year to you! How’s the year going so far? Christmas feels so last year now, right? ;) I hope you had a great time celebrating in whatever style that took your fancy. Ours involved letting the boys stay up for the bells, watching the London fireworks on TV & making a start on building my 6000+ pieces Harry Potter Lego Hogwarts Castle set! (Although that then led me to stay up till around 4am – as it’s rather addictive!) So where are you at with your goals setting for this year? I’m ...
Jan 01, 2019•20 min•Ep. 33
Are you all ‘Christmas-ed’ out now? I’m sure that like me & many other business owners, your mind has started to think about …. NEXT YEAR! Before the clocks strike midnight on New Year’s Eve though, do yourself a big favour … close out 2018 properly & also choose what you want from 2019. In this week’s short podcast episode, I share with you how to do that in an easy & fun way …. with 2 important questions. Plus, how you can choose a theme words for 2019, which will not only inspire ...
Dec 25, 2018•23 min•Ep. 32
90 days. It’s not too long. It’s not too short. It’s practically perfect in every way! And I’m super proud to have seen what a group of business owners achieved during their 90 day Rapid Transformation Mastermind , which wrapped up last week. The focused actions they took, along with the accountability & support they had, led them to…. smash through stretching revenue targets; attract new clients into their business; focused on streamlining their businesses & getting clearer on their nex...
Dec 18, 2018•22 min•Ep. 31
Let’s talk about LOVE! I’m a firm believer that you’ve got to love what you do in business …. otherwise what’s the point?! But it’s also natural that your love for it may go up & down at times. When that happens, it can be tempting to reach for that tub of ice cream & drown your sorrows, whilst listening to Celine Dion singing her heart out to you on repeat. Even though Celine is ace & ice cream is tasty … is that really going to help? It also doesn’t mean that you’ve got to say, ‘I’...
Dec 11, 2018•27 min•Ep. 30
They can seem real & totally legitimate. Especially when it’s not only you that's saying the same things or feeling that way. But come now … we both know deep down that … an excuse is an excuse! Will excuses help you smash your targets? Will excuses help you make the impact you want for your customers? Will you be able to pop into the local bank to deposit your excuses into your account? (if only!) The scary thing is that often we’re not even aware of some of the excuses whirling around in o...
Dec 04, 2018•20 min•Ep. 29
Want to know how I can quickly tell how likely you’re to achieve those goals you’ve set or not? It all boils down to the meaning & purpose behind them! And I’m not being all ‘woo hoo’ here – I truly mean is there a big enough reason behind them, which truly makes you committed to making them happen? But there’s even more to it than that. That’s why in today’s podcast episode, I’ll show you what words you need to be listening out for, which may float out of your mouth or are swirling around y...
Nov 27, 2018•29 min•Ep. 28
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” , said Benjamin Franklin. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t talking about your business or content marketing strategy with those wise words … but well if the shoe fits?! That’s exactly why I was super excited to have been invited to speak at Janet Murray’s Content Live workshop in London. Because it was not only going to help me spent time properly creating my content plan for 2019, but also helping over 80 other business owners do the same. It never ceases to ama...
Nov 21, 2018•41 min•Ep. 27
Ever had things going super well for you & then suddenly … BANG … it’s like someone hit the break & then flipped into reverse gear, so you start going backwards? But then after a while you start picking things up again & then out of the blue … the same things happens again & again like a yo-yo! What’s the deal with that? It sucks, right? Well it could be a sure fire sign that you’ve got an ‘upper limit’ challenge … that you can’t even see! But even though it’s invisible – it’s st...
Nov 14, 2018•25 min•Ep. 26
Be different … stand out from the crowd .. focus on your USP … Yep I’m sure you’ve heard things like that before. By why’s it so important? Because if you don’t, you’ll simply blend in. You’ll make life harder for yourself when it comes to growing your business. Plus, you’ll make it harder for your perfect customers to choose you easily & I know you don’t want that, right? The good news is that you can still have the same or very similar products or services as other ‘competitors’ out there ...
Nov 06, 2018•23 min•Ep. 25
‘I’m sorry, you’re being made redundant.’ Would you …. panic & die inside or be thrilled because this could be your chance ? Your chance to finally make your ‘one day’ dream come true today. Your chance to start doing something you’re more passionate about. Your chance to stop just plodding along or even worse being miserable about what you’re doing each day. That’s what ‘Lord’ David Scott did when those words were said to him a couple of years ago. But why do we sometimes wait for that exte...
Oct 30, 2018•33 min•Ep. 24
Very personal question … did you have a shower or bath today? Hopefully you’ve answered ‘yes’ … or at least have washed recently ;) But why do you do it regularly & not just once in a blue moon? To keep clean, fresh & to avoid people holding their noses when around you. So when’s the last time you gave the same time & attention to your MOTIVATION? Because let’s be real …. motivation levels can go up. They can go down. They can also feel like they’re somersaulting all over the place &...
Oct 23, 2018•30 min•Ep. 23
At one point back in the ‘olden days’, you used to live without a mobile phone. Yes … really! It’s scary to think how we survived without one. Did we seriously need to rely on an ‘earth phone’ or a payphone. (Part of me wishes we could back to those days in a way .... oh to be disconnected & distraction-free). I’m sure you’ll remember that exciting feeling when you unboxed your first ever mobile phone & thought … ‘WOW what a fantastic piece of technology!’. Mine was the cool & slick ...
Oct 16, 2018•30 min•Ep. 22
I like big books & I cannot lie. Yep I would even go as far as saying that I’m verging on being a ‘book-a-holic’. What about you? Do you love the smell when you walk into a bookshop & dream of being locked in there overnight? Do you get that thrill of excitement like you’re going to pee your pants, when you click the ‘buy now’ button for the latest book to magically wing its way to your e-device? (Ok if you answered yes to that … you need serious help … because that’s a bit too much &...
Oct 09, 2018•25 min•Ep. 21
Not everyone has what it takes to be a business owner. I honestly believe that. Do you agree or disagree with me? It’s not down to skills or capabilities, because those can be learnt. And there’s definitely not just ‘one way’ to be an entrepreneur or business owner. So what really make the difference? It’s what’s happening in your mind & your habits! In today’s podcast episode, you’ll hear me bring to life 5 blunt truths that you’ve got to be honest about …. if you want to give yourself any ...
Oct 02, 2018•24 min•Ep. 20
‘The MRI scan shows you’ve got a devastating injury’ , said the knee surgeon in a very matter of fact way. He went on & on for about 10 minutes with words such as, ‘major trauma in your knee’ … ‘it’s worse than we expected’. I honestly was waiting for him to say, ‘Osmaan … you won’t be able to walk on that leg again’. Thankfully he didn’t. All of this happened completely out of the blue & as a result of taking my eldest son trampolining … yes seriously! (I kinda wish it was as a result o...
Sep 25, 2018•38 min•Ep. 19
‘Be a leading learner’ is one of my favourite sayings from my mentors Roger Hamilton. And that’s exactly what today’s special guest, Dr Christy Fergusson did. Christy used her first hand experiences of suffering from many different health conditions, to take her on a path of discovering how to tackle these challenges using various different therapies & focusing on nutrition. This then led her to create The Food Psychologist brand, where she now helps serve others who are going through simila...
Sep 18, 2018•48 min•Ep. 18
I still remember it as if it was yesterday, when I woke up in a tent in the middle of nowhere & I really needed to pee. The only problem was that it was 12.33am & it was blowing a gale outside the tent. Honestly, the thought of venturing out of my warm sleeping bag to face that really didn’t appeal to me …. especially as I truly hated being cold or wet! I tried to ignore it, as I’d be getting up in a few hours anyway … surely I could use the power of my mind to wait? But you know what ha...
Aug 28, 2018•39 min•Ep. 17
'Networking' ... a buzz word that's used in business a lot. Why? Because it can be really powerful for you & your business … when it’s done right. But all too often, people don’t do it well! Or you start getting out there but get a lack of results & then throw your arms up in the arm & declare …. ‘Networking is a waste of my time’. So what’s it for you - do you get results from networking … or do you have room for improvement? Well today I’ve got the wonderful Lesley Collins, to help...
Aug 21, 2018•47 min•Ep. 16
Ever felt like your heads about to burst, when you’re trying to figure out that next step in your business or to overcome a challenge? Well that’s cause you’re doing it BY YOURSELF! But what would happen if instead, you were part of a special group of fellow smart, savvy, committed & driven small business owners & entrepreneurs? MAGIC ... that's what! So over on the podcast today, I chat all about the ins & outs of masterminds … what they are; how they’re different from coaching/ment...
Aug 14, 2018•36 min•Ep. 15
Last weekend we took the boys to see Incredibles 2 & as I waited in the ice cream queue, I decided to do some eavesdropping. ‘Can I have a scoop of cookie dough & chocolate fudge brownie please’; ‘I’ll have chunky monkey & strawberry cheesecake please.’ (bizarre combo if you ask me); ‘2 scoops of mint-choc chip please’. Guess what …. not one single person in front of me ordered vanilla! I must have looked a bit bizarre to my fellow cinema-goers because I started to chuckle out loud. ...
Aug 07, 2018•49 min•Ep. 14
